Salvage apparatus



Aug. 19, 1958 H. L. N. LAND SALVAGE APPARATUS s Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1954 Aug; 19, 1958 H1, N. LAND 2,847,962

SALVAGE APPARATUS Filed A n 9, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I 1 I .5 339? .10 J INVENT R.

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Aug. "-19, 1958 H. L.- N. LAND SALVAGE APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Her-barf L,/V Land Filed April 9, 1954 A 7' TOR/VEYS United States Patent SALVAGE APPARATUS Herbert L. N. Land, Camden, N. J., 'assignor of one-third to David G. Freedman, Haddon Heights, N. J.

Application April 9, 1954, Serial No. 422,063 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-54) sunken vessels.

Another object of the invention is to provide raising means on a vessel to be used when the vessel has been damaged and is partly submerged, whereby the vessel can be raised to or maintained floating at water level, the raising means involving collapsible inflatable pontoons of small bulk when inflated and occuping minimum space When installed on the vessel.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a collapsible pontoon embodying the features of this invention showing the pontoon inflated;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pontoon illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; t

Figure 4 is an end view of a modified form of pontoon;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic side view illustrating apparatus in accordance with the present invention connected to raise a sunken vessel;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through a boat showing an inflatable pontoon therein in inflated condition for maintaining the boat afloat despite a hole in the bottom of the boat;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a vessel showing pontoons of the form of Figures 4 and 5 distributed therearound in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Figure 8, showing one of the pontoons on an enlarged scale;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, showing the pontoon deflated;

Figure 11 is a schematic side view of a modified form of salvage apparatus including a harness connected to a sunken vessel and a raising pontoon; and

Figure 12 is an end view of Figure 11 on a greatly reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first to Figures 1 to 3 thereof, apparatus therein shown comprises a collapsible pontoon 10 comprising a hollow cylinder 12 of flexible impervious material having longitudinally spaced internal annular reinforcing bands 14 of flexible material on its side wall 13. Secured through the bands 14 and the side wall 13 are shanks 16 having swivel eyes 18 on their lower ends to which vessel raising cables 20 are adapted to be attached. .Secured through the bottom of the side wall 13 at apoint intermediate the ends ofthe cylinder 12 is a valve stem 22 of the type having therein a check valve (not shown) which prevents escape of fluid from the interior of the cylinder 12 but enables fluid, such as air, to be introduced into the cylinder by a suitable fluid supply pipe 24 which is connected in any conventional manner to a control valve 26 carried by a source of fluid pressure (notshown). If desired, a similarvalve 28 which operates in a reverse direction from the valve 22 can be secured through the top of the .side wall 13 of the cylinder 12 diametrically opposite the valve 22, to which is connected a pipe 30 leading to the next adjacent pontoon so that a group of ponttons can be connected in series and inflated from a common source 26.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 8 to 10, the pontoons designated generally 10 are constructed substantially identically with those above described except for the fact that the valves 34 and 36 thereof are secured through the opposite end walls 15 of the cylinder 12'. These pontoons 10' are secured by straps S embracing the cylinder, to the deck of a vessel V at selected locations and are connected in series through pipes 38 with a suitable source 40 of fluid under pressure which is lighter than the water. It will thus be seen that by establishing a flow of fluid from the source 40 through the pipes 38, the pontoons 10' can be inflated to supply buoyancy to the vessel V.

In employing the pontoons 10, of Figures 1 through 3, inclusive, the lower ends of the cables 20 are connected to a sunken object O and to the endmost position of a series or group a fluid supply line 24 is connected which is connected to a source 42 of fluid under pressure, so as 'to inflate the pontoons and raise the object O.

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, comprises an elongated cylindrical pontoon designated generally 10a from which salvaging cables 20a depend, the pontoon 10a being disposed over a sunken vessel V and the lower ends of the cables being coupled to a harness 44 which cradles the hull of the sunken vessel V so that when the pontoon 10a is inflated from a source of fluid pressure 46 carried by a tender 48, the buoyancy of the pontoon 10a will raise the sunken vessel V so that it may be towed to a salvage station.

In stances where protection is desired for small boats, a collapsible pontoon designated generally 10b is stowed in a convenient place in the boat in a collapsed condition with a hose 50 coupled to the inlet valve of the pontoon 10b, the hose 50 being in turn connected to a suitable source 52 of fluid under pressure which when expanded is lighter than water. In order to float the small boat in which the pontoon 10b is located, when the boat is in danger of sinking, it is necessary only to open the valve 54 to establish communication between the source 52 and the pipe 50 to supply fluid pressure to the interior of the pontoon 1011. In the preferred form of the invention the fluid employed for inflating the pontoons is preferably compressed carbon dioxide which upon its release from its containing vessel expands to inflate the pontoon to which it is connected.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that by providing flexible collapsible pontoons, they may be carried in collapsed condition into the interior of a sunken vessel through hatchways or the like and distributed at selected points throughout the hull and then coupled to a source of fluid under pressure, and thereby inflated to give buoyancy to the vessel. Obviously, where the pontoons are permanently fixed to the vessel, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, they will, in collapsed condition, take up very little space on the vessel.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and dey scribed the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for raising a sunken vessel, comprising an elongated collapsible cylinder of flexible material having a side wall and opposite ends, said side Wall having a top portion and a bottom portion, inflating and deflating valve means secured to and entering the cylinder, shanks spaced along the bottom portion of the cylinder side wall and secured to and depending from said bottom portion, said shanks having lower ends having eyes thereon to which salvage chains are adapted to be connected.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein stretchable 4 bands surround the cylinder and are secured to the cylinder side Wall at the points of connection of the shanks of the side Wall, the shanks being secured to the bands.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 350,184 Benninger Oct. 5, 1886 387,933 Travis Aug. 14, 1888 531,485 Turner Dec. 25, 1894 1,293,900 Pendergast Feb. 11, 1919 1,337,250 Meguerditchian Apr. 20, 1920 1,740,231 Ellsberg Dec. 17, 1929 2,391,326 McKinley Dec. 18, 1945 2,508,800 Rinne May 23, 1950 2,679,224 Sturtevant May 25, 1954 

